1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a wheel braking mechanism, and specifically, but not exclusively, to a wheel braking mechanism for a pushchair.
2. State of the Art
Braking mechanisms on pushchair wheels typically comprise an axial brake pin which may be selectively brought into engagement with one of a plurality of axial pin sockets provided on the wheel hub or a radial brake drop pin which may be brought into engagement with an open gear provided radially on the wheel hub. These existing braking mechanisms suffer from the problem that when the wheel is stopped, the brake pin may not be aligned with one of the pin sockets or between gear teeth, making engagement of the brake difficult and requiring rocking of the wheel to align the pin and the socket. A parent often has to rotate the wheel during application of the brake in order to align the pin and the socket. A further problem that known brakes suffer from is that the pin may be sheared off while it is engaged with a pin socket if the wheel is rotated while the brake is engaged, due to the low contact area between the pin and the socket resulting in high local stresses being applied to the pin if the wheel is rotated; this often happens due to a parent rocking the wheel with their foot while the pushchair is stationary with the brake applied.